It’s the middle of the summer

It was hot outside last Sunday. We are in the throes of active vacation time. The snowbirds have gone back up north to roost for the summer. But we had an extraordinary Lord’s Day!

Pastor Seth planned an inviting, interactive opening to the morning service last Sunday that set the tone for a wonderful day in the Lord! We sang three inter-connected hymns with orchestra participation that stirred the imagination & participation of the congregation. That set the tone for the rest of the day. Also we were delighted to have former summer intern, James Graham & his family with us for the service. They were passing through the area & just stopped in, but it was exciting for the church family, even those who were not here when he was an intern over five years ago! James led us in prayer & his words to the church family & in prayer to the Lord were blessed indeed.

Then the choir sang. The men opened with their strong, mellow powerful sound. Then the ladies joined to harmonize majestically. “Israel’s Song” was surprising to us as an audience with a change in tempo halfway through the song which caused some sleepy ones to awaken! The blessed message of praise to God was more than entertaining to the congregation; it was honoring to God indeed! Mrs. Emily Blewett, the pianist, got quite a workout on the piano for this song too! PTL for such God-honoring music.

The Scripture reading together was from Exodus 6:1-9 for the message “God’s Promises Even in Impossibilities.” This message was very well-received by the audience. As the deliverer of the sermon, I could sense the presence & favor of God upon us. This is another praise to Him.

The offertory erupted as I said amen over the offering. Mrs. Blewett had some great accoutrements to the old song “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus.” It was all dressed up in delightfully sounding scores that pleased our hearts & ears. So the morning service was a delight to my soul & from what others told me, it was equally blessed to many others also for which I am truly grateful to the Lord.

The evening service the choir of eight ladies & six men treated us to “It Was for Me.” The first verse was in unison. Then like July 4thfireworks, they exploded into harmony that thrilled the audience. It also had nice keyboard accompaniment The offertory was a trumpet solo by Mr. Lance Owen accompanied on the piano by Pastor Seth to “More Like the Master.” I particularly enjoyed the sound of the song & the simultaneous words on the screen as he played. This dynamic duo was also a blessing to those in attendance. Some testimonies ensued one of which was an update on Missionary Dan McCandless by Mr. Bob Black. This helped the congregation to know how to pray for their family. Pastor Seth then preached an informative message on James 4:5-6A. I was blessed & learned from this message that the spirit in verse 5 is no doubt the Holy Spirit Who is jealous with a holy, godlike jealousy over His people. It was informative, interesting, & instrumental regarding our relationship to please the Lord instead of ourselves. We definitely got the point.

So last Sunday was a great day here at Bethel. If you missed it, you missed a dandy day in the Lord. But there is hope! We are anticipating another good one this Lord’s Day. Come on down. See you then.